Athletes Work Harder To Play

The NCAA's 40-60-80 rule, or the progress toward degree requirement, was established in 2003 in an effort to increase the graduation rate of student athletes. The 40-60-80 rule mandates that, to remain eligible to compete, athletes must complete 40 percent of their degree requirements by the end of their second year in college, and an additional 20 percent each year thereafter.

Three years later it's still too early to tell if the NCAA is making progress toward its goal of more graduates, but new studies show that athletes are certainly working harder to play.

On its face, this seems like a good outcome. However, the athletes are not necessarily working harder at their studies, but on choosing what to study.

The 40-60-80 rule forces athletes to take core, or required, classes sooner (the first 2 years) and to take fewer electives. This is significant because many athletes cram their course loads with easy, elective courses because they are easier to balance with their sports commitments, make it easier to earn higher grades and thereby, to remain eligible to play.

Players who want to remain eligible to play, and meet the progress toward degree requirements, are compelled to select and stick with a major earlier in their college careers, and to select majors that require fewer core courses. Some athletes have complained that their career choices are limited to majors that lead to lower-paying jobs (Communications versus Pre-Med).

The NCAA's own study of 10,000 student-athletes at colleges around the country found that approximately 40% of players said playing college sports had prevented them from taking courses they wanted. Twenty-percent said playing sports affected the majors they chose.

A study conducted at Ohio's Kent State revealed that one-third of the 1,000 athletes surveyed believed that the [40-60-80 rule] had limited their career options, caused them anxiety over choosing a major, or penalized them unfairly for changing majors.

Get more information on NCAA Eligibility Rules